Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Ethan Jewell. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Ethan thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Being a business owner can be really hard sometimes. It’s rewarding, but most business owners we’ve spoken sometimes think about what it would have been like to have had a regular job instead. Have you ever wondered that yourself? Maybe you can talk to us about a time when you felt this way?

I’ve been working for myself since I was 17. I took the leap and created a personal brand on social media and have released 5 albums on all music platforms, as well as 70 podcasts episodes, allowing me to live off of this as a full time career for 5 years. During these 5 years, I’ve watched every single one of my friends go to college and get a “real” job. It’s been difficult. There’s always been a lot of doubt about how real my job is. After all, it’s hard to grasp anyone making a living off of art and turning it into a full brand and business. I’ve had to battle with friends doubting me and telling me I should follow those same footsteps, I’ve completely lost friends because we simply didn’t align. I’ve spent many days and nights wondering if I should just “settle in” and go work a regular job. However, I’ve realized – even though my form of work is less traditional and less reliable than others, it’s having an impact larger than me. I create music and art around mental health awareness, and have been told by fans that my music has made a deep and lasting impact on them. No matter the uncertainty of pay or future within this career, I wake up every day excited to give it my all as I know I’m making a difference in the world.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My name is Ethan Jewell, and when I was 17, I began posting what I call “musical poetry” on TikTok. I always knew I wanted to create but I wasn’t sure what until I found musical poetry. It’s an art form I fell in love with where I combine piano arrangements with rhythmic spoken word performance. Immediately, others fell in love with it too, and a video of my poetry garnered 5 million views in a few days. Shortly after, I released my first album, receiving 1 million streams in the first month. I’ve grown this personal brand and business to 12 million streams per year, 5 albums, 70 podcast episodes, 2 national tours, and a self-published poetry book.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

Social media is often a game of luck, but there are things you can do to help your chances. Most people have this idea that their social media accounts have to be perfect and refined. That the audio, video, and editing has to be top notch and every video has to be top tier. This simply isn’t the case. I grew my following to 850k on TikTok, 65k on Instagram, and 45k on YouTube by following these steps. First, you have to just post. Worry less about the perfect quality and more about a consistent schedule. Post several times a week – short form video content is best for growth. Have a hook at the start of your video (give them a reason to watch), and keep it short and relatable. For example, most of my posts are me at my piano doing a spoken word performance. No fancy cameras, microphones, or editing – just a raw and genuine connection with the audience. That is the most impactful form of content in my opinion. If you can find a raw way to connect with a niche of people, you will find greater success on social media. It’s a powerful tool for any business owner.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

During my first national tour, just about everything that could go wrong DID go wrong. One example was my vacuum sealed merch bags being destroyed. Part way through the tour, I was in Chicago after a show. It was midnight, below freezing outside, and I was exhausted from the 8 hours I had driven that day. I was also acutely aware of the fact that I had another 4 hours to drive after the show. I needed to finish packing and get on the road, however, my merch bags had a different idea. I’d been using vacuum sealed bags to store my merch in the car to save on room. One by one that night, they all ripped in 2, leaving me unable to re-pack the car, and unable to leave the venue. I was at a breaking point as I watched every bag rip one by one, and my chances of going to bed before sunrise disappear. I managed to get new bags from the store, and then had to re-pack my merch on the sidewalk at 1 a.m. in the FREEZING cold in a city I didn’t know. I managed to get through and have a successful rest of my tour. This was a true lesson of resilience, as I wanted nothing more than to give up and try to shove all of my things into the car. This would’ve only less to disorganization and have impacted me negatively for the rest of the tour. By gritting my teeth for a few hours, I was able to save myself countless hours of confusion and problems later on in the tour.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.ethanjewell.con
• Instagram: @jewellboi_
• Youtube: Ethan Jewell
• Other: Spotify: “Ethan Jewell”
  Link: https://open.spotify.com/artist/17Cit7wNuKM6q67MwLH6gD?si=u-fx4laHR4ya7ECBFe8V0A

Image Credits

Becca Greenberg
Shelby Doroshow
Mae Krell